Workplace relationships tend to be a relatively taboo subject that few people openly discuss. But they are definitely a reality, and we all must know the rights and wrongs when it comes to workplace relationships. If you’re considering engaging in a workplace romance, you need to be fully aware of their potential perks and pitfalls. This will allow you to make informed decisions when it comes to engaging or rejecting them.

Our personal connection program is built to help highly driven young professionals navigate and develop their relationship with themselves and others inside and outside of work.

To help you along the way, here’s everything you need to know about handling a personal relationship at work.

Are Workplace Relationships Common?

First, let’s take a look at just how common workplace relationships are. You’re not likely to get a whole lot of honest or accurate information on the topic simply by discussing the concept of workplace relationships with colleagues. After all, the information that spreads around is usually rumors. Sometimes, people will never find out about relationships that are taking place because those involved are discreet. Instead, it’s best to take a look at professional studies that have been conducted in the area. Here are some interesting results that show the status of workplace relationships in the modern-day.

Vault.com found that 58% of employees have engaged in some sort of romantic relationship with a colleague.

Almost half of the employees don’t know their company’s policies regarding workplace romance – this could be because these policies don’t exist in the first place or because they’re not effectively communicated.

Almost one in five employeeshave cheated on their partner with someone from work – 19% of employees admitted to cheating on their partner with a colleague. In contrast, a much larger 44% say they are aware of colleagues who have had affairs at work or during business trips.

Most workplace couples keep their relationship a secret– around 64% of employees who are engaging in a romantic relationship with a colleague will not tell others about this, instead choosing to keep things under the radar.

Three in four people would consider engaging in a workplace romance – 72% of people surveyed would consider participating in a workplace romance should the opportunity arise.

A Note on Workplace Relationships

Before we get any further into our discussion of workplace relationships, it’s essential to note that any workplace relationship has to be consensual between both parties – as with any other relationship. Never assume that you can act romantically with any of your coworkers. This means you should not talk to them in a sexual or intimate tone without given consent. Show respect for others’ personal boundaries and always ask for outright permission to act in any way other than professionally. Remember that people may be polite or lenient to avoid tension in the workplace. You shouldn’t rely on a protest or someone overtly saying “no” to advances. Without clear consent and permission, you may actually be harassing someone.

Be Aware of Potential Legal Repercussions

Legal repercussions can vary depending on where you live. For example, in many countries, personal relationships between any colleagues are deemed completely fine. In others, specific relationships are punishable through fines, imprisonment, or even death. Make sure to be familiar with the regulations in place in the country you’re working in – especially if you’re working overseas where you may be unfamiliar with common law and practice.

Check the Policies of the Company You’re Working For

Many companies have regulations in place when it comes to relationships between colleagues. It’s always worth checking your company’s policies, so you don’t find yourself in breach of them. If there are rules in place that forbid employees from being in relationships, you need to evaluate whether this relationship is worth one of you leaving your role and working somewhere else.

Consider Whether the Relationship is Appropriate

Even if there is consent between both parties, you need to determine whether the relationship is appropriate. For example, a senior figure within a company engaging in a relationship with someone in a junior rank can be deemed problematic due to the inherent power imbalance between the two individuals.

Remain Professional in the Workplace

If everything’s going smoothly and you and your colleague are in a working relationship, it’s essential to remain professional in the workplace. It’s generally best to avoid public displays of affection, and it could be deemed extremely unprofessional to bring personal issues into your professional day – for example, continuing a personal argument within the workplace. It’s also vital that you avoid showing your partner preferential treatment above other colleagues. This can cause issues, as people may begin to feel unfairly treated, and this can result in feelings of resentment which are never productive in a professional environment.

What Can We Say About Personal Relationships at Work?

As you can see, personal relationships in the workplace tend to fall into a relatively grey area. Some would say to avoid them at all costs. Others are in happy marriages with their colleagues and wouldn’t change a thing in the world. Only you can determine what’s best for you. However, to better improve this situation, an online personal connection course can help you maintain a healthy relationship at work.

Hopefully, the above information has helped you make more informed decisions if you do decide to go ahead with a workplace romance!

Have you wanted to learn how to change strangers into friends, friends into best friends and create a personal connection with anyone?

How to Make Self Isolation Less Lonelyhttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/coronavirus-window.png1280731VP LegaciesVP Legacieshttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/coronavirus-window.pngJune 2, 2020June 4, 2020

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are required to stay at home. Businesses have shut down and had all their employees work remotely. The problem with being quarantined at home is that it disrupts our daily routine and social interaction.

Self-isolation can lead to loneliness, depression, and anxiety. It can also be difficult for employees to communicate and collaborate on projects if they are practicing social distancing and isolation.

How Self Isolation Works

If you are curious about how self-isolation works, and how to do it properly to prevent getting infected, here are some insights for you.

Stay home

Avoid leaving the house unless it’s necessary, which means no school, no church, and no work. If you have to make money, most likely, you will be working from home.

See a virtual doctor

If you are sick, it’s best to try telemedicine first. You can get on a virtual clinic at the comfort of your own home, turn on the WebCam, and see a board-certified doctor. The doctor can interview and write a prescription for you to pick up at the nearest pharmacy.

Have your own stuff

Wash, rinse, and repeat

Hygiene is a crucial part of self-isolation. Hand wash and hand sanitizer should be the first line of defense under quarantine and isolation. If you cough or sneeze, do it on your elbows or use a tissue and throw it away immediately.

Social distancing

If you have to take your dog out for a walk or grab something from the store, it’s vital to keep yourself 6 feet or 2 meters between you and another person. This is the concept of social distancing to prevent a potential infection.

How to Keep Yourself Busy

Since self-isolation can be lonely, here are some ways to keep yourself busy:

Take time to breathe

This is the perfect time to breathe and relax. Because of the pandemic and self-isolation, we tend to have more time to spare. Once the pandemic is over, and you’re back to your regular routine and life, you will be too busy to relax and smell the roses.

Why not take this time to meditate and to do some yoga. This can help alleviate any anxiety, fear, and concerns about the uncertainty during the pandemic. Plus, taking time to relax and catch up on your favorite book and movie can give you a more positive perspective about life.

Enjoy your home

The problem with a busy life is that after work, we go home, eat, shower, go to bed, and wake up in the morning to repeat the cycle all over again.

Now that we have a pandemic, it’s best to take the time to enjoy your home. You can try new hobbies, like:

Growing indoor plants

Redecorating the house

Renovating the kitchen

Paint the walls

Hanging some pictures

Catching up on some house chores.

Keep yourself company

The best way to keep yourself company is to do something you enjoy, but never get to do because of a busy lifestyle. Here are some activities that will keep your company:

Another fantastic course from VP Legacies is learning how to build a strong relationship with yourself. This is a vital educational experience that helps people enjoy their alone time while also having a flourishing relationship with others. It gives some insight on how to maintain a professional and personal relationship while working from home.

How to Maintain Personal Connections

It can be easy to lose touch with everyone you care about during social isolation. Here are some ways to maintain a personal connection during a pandemic.

Respectful distance

When it comes to social interaction, it’s essential to keep a social distance even with those we live with. Try to maintain adequate distance during this time, but also have conversations to enjoy each other’s company.

Have meaningful phone conversations

Instead of texting, try grabbing the phone, dial the phone number, and start talking. It’s more meaningful to hear someone’s voice and have a conversation with them than to sit on a couch and text endlessly.

Send emails once in a while

Since you have more time on your hand, put in the effort to send a lengthy email. This can be better than just simply liking someone’s post on Instagram. With the email, it shows that you care, and that you genuinely want to reach out and connect.

Conclusion

Because COVID-19 is highly contagious and can lead to fibrosis of the lungs, social isolation is a requirement to keep everyone safe. However, during this period, people could get lonely and anxious about the uncertainty of the situation.

Fortunately, we have listed a variety of things that you can do to make self-isolation less lonely and more enjoyable. In addition to that, if you are working from home, there are various ways to improve your communication and collaboration with friends and colleagues.

Have you wanted to learn how to change strangers into friends, friends into best friends and create a personal connection with anyone?

How to Communicate with employees during the coronavirus pandemichttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/conference-room.png16001067VP LegaciesVP Legacieshttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/conference-room.pngJune 1, 2020June 4, 2020

The Challenge of Communicating Remotely

A recent study from Harvard Business Review showed that 69% of managers are not comfortable communicating with their employees and 57% of employees feel they are not given clear directions at work. This is quite a high number considering the amount of technologies available to us. One would assume that with so many communication tools at our disposal–smartphones, text messaging, e-mail, WiFi, social media–effective communication in the workplace should be a breeze. But it’s apparent that simply having those tools isn’t enough.

Perhaps fostering our work relationships also means learning how to use technology in a way that serves our professional needs. Here at VP Legacies, we recognize the challenges that come with working remotely and are providing you with free, live shows to help foster communication. In today’s post, we’ll share our best practices for maintaining communication with your employees during the current global pandemic.

Why is it important to communicate with employees during a pandemic or other crisis?

Effective communication in the workplace is what makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts. In most workplaces, team members are distinguished by varying levels of skill, experience, and expertise. They are further divided by different responsibilities, duties, and tasks.

Without clear intentions and clarity of expectation from team leaders, even the most devoted and hardworking team members can easily spin off track. Thus, communication can be seen as the glue that keeps a team working together, even as they accomplish their own separate tasks. It’s up to team leaders, department managers, and company executives to establish a culture of transparency and communication so that the company can benefit as a whole.

6 Steps to Effective Communication with Employees During a Pandemic

Technology affords us a multitude of ways to communicate with employees even while working remotely during the pandemic. But as we hinted above, merely downloading the right apps isn’t enough to create a culture of meaningful communication amongst your team. How can we use our tools and resources to increase the quality of communication with our employees?

First, we recommend establishing clear goals for each encounter. This allows you to express to employees or team members why you’re contacting them and what you hope to accomplish. Getting everyone on board from the outset of the conversation will help you focus the direction of the meeting.

Second, share your thoughts on the topic at hand and how discussing this topic is beneficial to a particular project or to the company as a whole.This establishes a level of transparency on your part, thereby encouraging others to be transparent as well. It’s also a way to remind employees that you’re prioritizing the company and starts the conversation off with a positive tone.

Third, open up discussion to receive feedback, suggestions, and observations from your employees. Recognize the value of your employees’ points of view and let them know you’re considering their needs and expectations. Communication is a two-way street so this step is important if you’re serious about connecting with your employees.

Fourth, if necessary, make plans for following up on any ongoing topics or addressing suggestions made by you or others. This shows your employees that you want to continue to communicate with them and also expresses that you care about their feedback.

Fifth, thank your employee or employees for their time. This gesture of respect and gratitude will keep communication lines open and help your employees feel appreciated for their efforts.

Sixth, keep a record of your communication so that you’ll remember what you talked about when you communicate with employees again. The record will also be helpful for keeping minutes of meetings that you’ll share with your employees.

These steps can be used for an entire conversation or you can repeat the first three steps throughout if you’re handling multiple items during a meeting. Let’s take a closer look at how we can apply these steps to remote communication with your employees.

Phone

The phone has been a tool for communication for much longer than any of the other technologies on our list. Even so, it’s easy to become complacent and resort to picking up the phone and rattling off a list of to-dos. In the meantime, all of your best intentions to improve workplace communications are quickly forgotten.

Instead of catching your employees off guard, set up a time to talk on the phone through text message or email (whichever is more appropriate in the context of your workplace). Let them know ahead of time what you want to discuss and your goals for the phone call. This gives them some time to prepare any documentation you’ll be discussing and to consider any suggestions they want to share with you regarding the topic to be discussed.

Once you’re on the call, be sure to share your own thoughts on the topic at hand and why you think this call is necessary. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or are experiencing stress about a certain task, be sure to use your words in a non-threatening manner. Remember, the ultimate goal is figuring out together what is best for your project or company.

Don’t forget to invite suggestions or comments from your employee. Show sincere interest in the employee’s experience of what they’re working on and take note of what they share with you. Finally, ask the employee what they need to complete the task and whether they feel fully equipped to do so.

End your call with an expression of appreciation and be sure to save your notes. You can reference them on future calls with the employee and you’ll be even more prepared the next time around.

Email

Email is a pleasant and professional way of communicating with employees. Be sure to follow email etiquette whenever sending correspondence to your staff. Opening communications with a personable greeting and using the employee’s name is advisable (example: “Hi Tim…”).

Explain why you’re emailing and what you hope to accomplish. Next, share your thoughts on the progress of the task at hand and what you think would benefit the project or company. Then invite the employee to share their suggestions or thoughts on the topic.

Finally, sign off with a gesture of gratitude (example: “Thanks for your help on this project”). Send a follow-up email if you find there are more topics to discuss later on or you want to continue discussing a particular topic. Save your email thread so that you’ll have it as a record of communication.

Video Conference

Video conference applications have become increasingly popular in the past few months as workplaces strive to find ways to stay connected while practicing social distancing. Apps such as Google Hangout, Zoom, and Skype allow businesses to conduct group work meetings even while employees are working from home.

Plan a video conference by scheduling a conference date and time with your employees. You can give them advance notice of what you’ll be discussing through email or any work messaging system you’re currently using. Doing so will allow employees to prepare any documents, presentations, or work product they’d like to discuss on the day of the video conference. If there is anything you’d like employees to see during the online meeting, be sure to email it to the group before the conference starts so they have time to review it.

Start the video meeting off by introducing any new members of the team and expressing what you’d like to accomplish during the meeting. This is a good time to list multiple meeting items so that everyone is up to date. Next, bring up each meeting item, updating your employees on the progress of that task and what you’re hoping to accomplish by the next meeting. Invite the team to share any recommendations or observations for accomplishing that task.

Once each meeting item has been addressed, open up discussion with your employees as to whether they feel the goals of this meeting have been accomplished. Discuss any ongoing topics that you’ll be addressing in future meetings and whether there’s anything you or your team need to follow up on. Thank your employees for their time, energy, and contributions. If you or anyone else at the meeting has taken minutes or recorded the meeting items, email this out later in the day so that everyone has a record of what was discussed.

Clear Communication Will Ensure the Health of your Business

Let’s recap the six steps to clear remote communication:

Establish clear goals and objectives of the conversation or meeting.

Share your thoughts on the meeting item or topic and discuss why addressing this item is beneficial to the company.

Invite employees to share their comments, suggestions, experiences, and observations regarding the topic.

If necessary, plan to follow up on any ongoing items or suggestions/concerns.

Thank your employees for their time.

Keep a record of the encounter and send out meeting minutes, if any.

Creating an environment of clear and open communication in the workplace is important to the health of your business. Even while working remotely, strong team leaders can take this opportunity to boost morale and foster growth by prioritizing meaningful connections with employees. With the help of modern technology and our six steps to effective remote communication, you can continue to accomplish important tasks and build team culture through the pandemic.

Take this time to advance your communication skills to the next level. VP Legacies is currently offering a free course to help others like you improve their soft skills and maintain important connections during this time of isolation. Check out How To Personally Connect in the Midst a Global Pandemic, live daily on Instagram and Facebook.

Have you wanted to learn how to change strangers into friends, friends into best friends and create a personal connection with anyone?

How to Work on Yourselfhttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/woman-in-the-mirror.png16001066VP LegaciesVP Legacieshttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/woman-in-the-mirror.pngMay 24, 2020May 24, 2020

Something that people seem to forget is that the most important relationship that you are ever going to have in your life is the one you have with yourself. Every other relationship is going to be secondary, and this type of relationship comes naturally to us. How you feel about yourself and the way you treat yourself is the most important thing in your life, but this is easy to forget. That is why in this article, we are going to be looking at some of the ways that you can work on yourself. By the time you have finished reading, you should have a good idea about how you can work on the relationship you have with yourself.

Learn To Forgive

One of the things that you can learn is how to forgive. Some things in the world seem impossible to forgive, but something you have to come to terms with before forgiving is that you are the one who is holding on. If you are not forgiving, whether it be yourself or someone else, you are giving in to something that is hurting you. Without forgiveness, there is only going to be hurt, and you need to learn to let this go if you want to improve yourself.

Think about it this way: If you are holding a piece of rope that is being pulled in a different direction, and you are holding on tight, eventually you’re going to have burns on your hand. You think it’s the right thing to do, but you’re only getting hurt, and you can only become free by releasing the rope. Set the rope free and forgive, because you deserve the peace and forgiveness will bring this to you.

Try To Eat Healthier

A lot of the time, we eat absent-mindedly without thinking about what we are actually eating. The food looks good at the time, and that’s a good enough reason to eat it, right? Sometimes yes, but other times you need to consider the food that is good for you and your health. You need to be eating food that is nourishing you and providing all the vitamins and nutrients that you need to stay healthy. At the end of the day, that is what food is for, so you need to make those smart choices and choose the correct food.

We’re not saying that you can’t indulge every now and then, but if you want to work on yourself, you need to be healthy.

Identify How Serious a Situation is

Try to stop taking everything in your life so seriously. Not everything is as serious as it seems, so learn to ease up a little. It’s not going to be easy, so take it step by step. There’s not always a hidden meaning in every word or every action. You don’t need to analyze every single situation with a microscope. Lighten up, feel that burden lift off you.

Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to, but you need to use these times to learn and grow. Don’t let them change who you are for the worse and create a cloud of negativity over you. See all experiences as a learning curve, and a chance to better yourself where you can.

Everything that we do makes up who we are. It reflects who we are, and the relationship that we have with ourselves, the decisions you make, and the ones that you don’t. If you are going to try to change the outside, and the acts that you are committing, you’ve got to first commit to changing the inside.

Spend Less Time on Social Media

Social media is wonderful in many ways. Social media brings people together, allows you to stay connected with those that you love and share your life experiences. However, it can also be the cause of many problems. Always comparing your life to what other people are portraying on social media can really suck, and the truth is, you never really know what is happening in a person’s life aside from what that a person is posting. That is why you need to limit how much you are using social media. Start with something simple like taking a day in the week off. Live in the real world, and not in the one that has been created on the internet.

You never know, you might find that you actually like it and you want to make your break from social media more of a regular thing. It will help you connect with yourself, rather than comparing yourself to others. You will find more peace knowing who you are than trying to figure out who others are or who you should be.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you can do to work on yourself. It’s all about you, and that relationship you cultivate with yourself, so go, be free, work on who you are!

Have you wanted to learn how to change strangers into friends, friends into best friends and create a personal connection with anyone?

Coping with Working from Home During the COVID-19 Pandemichttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/woman-looking-at-computer.png16001312VP LegaciesVP Legacieshttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/woman-looking-at-computer.pngMay 24, 2020June 4, 2020

Sometimes working from home can be a lonely task, especially now when the world is experiencing the height of a pandemic. It is not always easy to cope with, and sometimes dealing with loneliness can be the worst thing in the world, but there are things that you can do to try and combat this feeling. You might not see it now, but by the time you have finished reading this article, you are going to have a couple of ideas on what you should do if you are feeling lonely when working from home.

Move During Your Break

One of the things that are very beneficial to your health and mental space is making sure that you are moving during your breaks throughout the day. Just because you are working from home does not mean that you should stop being active.

Taking breaks is important, so if you haven’t been moving regularly, then you should get into the habit of it. Going for a walk is one of the best things you can do in a short period of time. Head to the closest park and go for a walk around in nature for a little while before getting back to work. You will feel much better for having gone outside for a little while.

Or, if you don’t want to go outside because you think it will interrupt your workflow, stay at home and do some simple exercises. As long as it gets your body moving, it doesn’t matter what you choose to do. You definitely don’t want to become a couch potato, and regular movement is the best way to avoid this.

Set Up Virtual Meetings

If you are feeling lonely during Social Distancing, something you could consider is setting up virtual meetings. It’s always nice to talk to other people, and even if they are not physically with you, that shouldn’t stop you from having meetings to discuss projects or work. Talk to your clients or others that you work with, and arrange something through a platform such as Skype or one of the many other platforms. This will help you to feel less alone as it will give you the chance to interact with other people who are working on the same things that you are.

You can even set these up so that they are a weekly occurrence, and you can set them up with a range of different people. Organize times to talk to your clients, and time to talk to the people that you work with so that you have everything you need for these meetings. Just don’t forget that they are actually meetings, and you need to look professional!

Look For Help Coping

There are plenty of sites out there, such as VP Legacies that are there to help you cope with feelings such as loneliness. It’s common, so you shouldn’t feel bad or ashamed for feeling the way you do. It’s hard to be on your own a lot, and when you work from home, this can sometimes be the case.

VP Legacies offer a number of different courses that you can take to help you find happiness. These include Personal Connection 101, How To Build A Relationship With Yourself, and How To Personally Connect – Pandemic.

The last course that we mentioned is currently free for people to take, which is an added benefit. Companies like this also have a daily life on Facebook and Instagram to talk to their followers and help in any way that they can.

It’s okay to admit that you need help coping, and that is exactly what sites like this are for. It’s okay not to be okay with feeling lonely, you just need help figuring out what to do about it.

You’re Not Actually Alone

Something that is important to remember is that you are not actually alone. Just because someone might not physically be there with you, there are likely still people around to help you. While it is true that being lonely has been connected with higher productivity levels because it pushes you to do more work, you can’t do it alone. You need to actively create a personal community around you that is going to be there to help you. If you don’t do this, then you might end up not being able to get out of your pit of loneliness in the future.

As well as this, there are going to be others around like your friends and family. Make sure to call and check in with them so that they can remind you that you aren’t on your own. Sometimes this is all you need to make you feel better because, unfortunately, sometimes being an entrepreneur and working from home is difficult and isolating.

Find Others Like You

We just talked a little about building up a community, and finding others like you is a great way to start. There are plenty of forums online that you can use to help you find other people who are in the same boat as you. It might take a little while for you to feel this sense of community, but it is definitely going to be worth it when you get there.

Trust us when we say that there are plenty of people who feel the way you do and are looking for a community in the same way, it’s just a matter of finding them. You can make posts on social media boards and find some sites that are set up with the specific intention of helping people find each other. It’s a fantastic way of building up those around you and coming to realize that you don’t have to feel lonely working from home.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now have some ideas about what you can do if you are feeling lonely working from home, especially right now when the pandemic is in full swing. Good luck, and we hope you start to feel better soon!

Have you wanted to learn how to change strangers into friends, friends into best friends and create a personal connection with anyone?

5 Ways to Build Personal Connections in the Workplace as a New Hirehttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cloud-and-sky.png1280720VP LegaciesVP Legacieshttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cloud-and-sky.pngMay 23, 2020June 4, 2020

Everyone knows that awkward feeling of being the new hire at a workplace and not having anyone to spend the lunch-break with. Building a social network fast at work will help you in many different ways: it will make it easier for you to seek help, it will open more career opportunities, it will help you to stay motivated, and keep track of the emotional atmosphere at work.

In short, it will simply make communication easier. Therefore helping you to connect with your peers and to enjoy your time at the office.

Introverts vs. Extroverts: Can Both Make Personal Connections?

We are usually taught that there are two types of people, extroverts and introverts. And that extroverts have a much easier time relating to others and building social networks. While this is true, being social is not a gift. It is a trainable skill, and with practice anyone can become better at making interpersonal connections.

Let’s have a look at 5 ways that can help you build your social network at work more efficiently and effectively.

1 Be present in your space to personally connect

Don’t be the person who shows up at work every morning, works at the desk, and then leaves without anyone noticing. Start presenting yourself to everyone you meet at the office the first day, and tell them why you are there. From there on, greet everyone in the morning and say goodbye to them in the evening, even (and especially) if they are not in your way.

This will show them that you are open to communication and that you are aware of them, stimulating your peers to do the same. You will more likely not be able to greet everyone, but that is not the point. Building personal networks is all about going out of your usual social environment and trying to develop communication channels with people you would not connect with otherwise.

2 Divide social time from work time

We easily lose the balance between social interactions and productivity. We either neglect work to build relationships or we focus too much on our tasks and forget everyone around us.

Work hard during your working hours, and enjoy a good cup of coffee with your coworkers during the breaks. In this way, you will make your boss happy without risking to overwork or being the “antisocial” one on the team.

3 Embrace emotions to personally connect

This is something we all struggle with: in an attempt to please everyone, some people fall into a state of “emotional neutrality,” suppressing every strong emotion they feel.

Why show your personal feelings?

If you do this, you will either be seen as someone emotionless or someone who hides their own true feelings, therefore who is better not to trust.

What you want to do is embrace your emotions and show your personality to your peers, it will tell them that you are genuine and show them your taste. They will either sympathize with you or at least respect you for being honest.

Develop emotional awareness

Try to talk to many different people and get a feeling of what the common feelings at the workplace are. Discovering the “emotional atmosphere” will help you to move better in the social environment and ease your communications.

Lastly, ask questions if you feel like your peers are not doing well and offer your help or support. Remember that people connect through joy or pain, and emotions are the best gateway for long term relationships.

4 Promote professional and personal social events to create a personal connection

The best environments to create new connections are in person at social events, therefore, you should do your part to encourage them. Participate in the ones you like and most importantly explain why you don’t go when you don’t.

The last thing you want is people to think that you didn’t go because you don’t like them or because you have better things to do with your time. Don’t get us wrong, it is ok to dislike someone, but try to always be fair and don’t let your bias influence you. Give everyone a chance, you might be surprised how they behave in different situations.

How to connect if you don’t enjoy standard social events?

Furthermore, if you find yourself skipping all the social events because you just don’t like them, then start proposing different ones yourself. Try to bring your peers in an environment in which you feel comfortable and in activities that you enjoy.

5 Be aware of other’s importance to win more connections

Lastly, let’s focus on the most crucial concept to build more social connections. This last section is about being true to yourself and practicing what you preach.

We have been told that body language makes up approximately 80% of your communication. Yet everyone is teaching you how to get better intonation, improve your timing, and sound more entertaining. All things that, even if relevant, cover only 20% of your actual communication skill set.

Helping you improve your communication – both physical and vocal – is what we are here for. VP Legacies offers courses that inspire stronger communication and genuine personal connections. Right now, our Personal Connection course is free and available live on Facebook and Instagram. Discover how to personally connect in the midst of a global pandemic.

Today we are focusing on the elephant in the room. We will show you the most basic yet powerful way to boost your body language and how it actually affects the way you communicate.

Social benefits of exercising

No big surprise, exercising creates personal connection. We know it may sound a little weird, so let’s take it back to something more familiar.

“Mens sana in corpore sano”

You may hear some variation of this quote from Juvenal all the time. It literally means “a healthy mind in a healthy body”, and that is pretty much the whole trick.

It is important to spend time trying to sharpen your mind, to become more charismatic, friendly, and magnetic. Yet you are training only 20% of your skills. You train the mind, but you are leaving the body out of the equation!

“Well, how do I get a sharper, more efficient body then?”

The answer is actually so simple that even a child could guess it: just start exercising! Exercise allows you to be both physically and mentally healthy.

Start experimenting with your body, challenge yourself, play, and with time, become comfortable in your own body.

Remember that the whole theory behind this is that the mind and body are deeply connected. So, if you truly feel comfortable in your body, then the mind will follow and your non-verbal language will reflect and empower what you are communicating.

Psychological benefits of physical activity

How do you train yourself to be a better speaker? You train your tone, you practice different styles, you test it out with your friends, etc. Do you find the common thread here?

If we overlook the focus on specific details, you are always simply using your voice.

Try to reverse-engineer that, and you’ll end up with the title of this article. Focus on exercise and your physical health to create personal connections and strong communication.

There are different ways to exercise, and some are more likely to transfer directly to your communication. First, you must start using your body more and strengthen your mental and physical connection with it.

These physical activities create personal communication

We said that exercise can improve your non-verbal communication, which you can then use to empower your words. But which pieces of training are going to boost your daily relationships the most?

1) Balance Training Creates Connection and Awareness in Your Body

We know focusing on training your balance to create personal connection and awareness may sound weird. But, we said that we want to experiment, play, and feel comfortable in our bodies.

The foundation of balance training is to connect with your body and have total control over it. Balance training is advantageous to get more familiar with your physical structure as a whole, empowering you to experiment and play with different variables. In addition, it teaches you how to maintain focus on yourself and feel in charge of your actions.

In a realistic scenario, to control your non-verbal communication you first need to be conscious of what your body is doing. Balance training helps you in maintaining body awareness throughout the entire conversation, therefore, opening the possibility for a change.

The best way to achieve this is through Yoga, which is deeply founded on the mind-body connection. You can also try Barre, Pilates or simple exercises on the balance board. Regardless, the main idea is that you force yourself to focus on what your body is doing. Then you can adjust its position to perform the exercise.

2) Strength Training Builds Confidence and Safety

Focusing on building muscle through strength training creates safety and stability within your body. Most importantly, it shows you your physical and mental limits. By experiencing your limits you are able to see what it takes to break down your perceived barriers to achieve even more.

For example, you are better equipped to have difficult conversations with employees and customers.

Strength training will make your posture more stable and rooted to the ground, which communicates confidence and safety.

Olympic lifting and calisthenicsare the most beneficial sports you can perform, for two different reasons.

Olympic lifting will push you to your absolute limits and it will build your posture steady as a tree.

Calisthenics, on the other hand, will strengthen even more your self-awareness while building discipline and self-respect.

3) Team Sports Improve Your Environmental Awareness

We talked about being more self-aware, more confident and more in charge of your body. Team sports improve your overall environmental awareness and promote social interaction.

Group sports are the perfect way to create this social environment.

Sports like soccer or baseball will force you to communicate quickly, read the other’s team intentions and constantly be aware of everyone’s position. This training is excellent if we think about a social event with many people or about a negotiation.

The ability to read the other person’s will, as well as being aware of the environment, are crucial skills in social interactions.

Dancing combines body awareness, environmental awareness, and body language to communicate without a single word.

Taking this further, when you dance in a group, it teaches you how to express different feelings and how to adjust strength.

This is the final step of the process and it provides you with the tools to master emotional communication through body language.

Couples dances such as Salsa and Waltz (and ballroom dances in general) are the best way to train one-on-one communication. While group dances, where everyone can dance without restrictions, are perfect to train interactions with multiple people.

Better Body Language = Better Communication

“Mens sana in corpore sano” or “ a healthy mind in a healthy body” is really the key when it comes to personal connections.

To conclude and sum up what we have said:

The majority of our communication happens non-verbally.

Simply exercise to improve your body language.

The activities that transfer the most to personal communication are balance training, strength training, group sports and dancing.

Strength training through Olympic lifting and Calisthenics will build confidence, a more stable posture, body awareness, and self-respect.

Group sports like soccer and basketball will create environmental awareness and teach you how to “read” your opponent.

Dancing will give you the tools to combine all of this and use it to express different emotions through non-verbal communication.

Physiological and social benefits of exercise

The physiological and social benefits of physical activity lead to better communication skills. You will gain the skills and experiences to create stronger personal connections. How? Body language.

Looking for more insight on how to keep your connections strong and maintain relationships, even when you’re physically apart from someone? Contact VP Legacies today about our Personal Connection 101 course, which will help you speak with confidence and have deeper conversations.

Have you wanted to learn how to change strangers into friends, friends into best friends and create a personal connection with anyone?

How to Connect with Friends During Social Distancinghttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2-people-kissing.png1280660VP LegaciesVP Legacieshttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2-people-kissing.pngMay 20, 2020June 4, 2020

Social distancing is necessary right now, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose touch with your friends. There are plenty of things that you can do to ensure that you stay connected with the people that you care about, and that’s exactly what we’re going to be looking at in this article. When you get to the end of this article, you should know some of the ways that you can connect with your friends during social distancing. If you want to know more, keep reading down below.

Make Use Of Social Media

You are going to have to make use of social media. Social media is how a lot of people stay connected even when social distancing wasn’t necessary, but now that it is, it’s become more critical than ever. With all the different platforms, this isn’t going to be too much of an issue, and if you don’t have everyone that you need on there, it’s time to get adding. The significant part about social media is that you can keep in contact with people in several different ways. You can do it through posting, commenting on their posts, private messaging, and much more. There are lots of options to consider, so it’s not difficult to connect.

If you want toconnect with more people, then you need to have as many social media accounts as possible. This way, you are going to have access to more of the population rather than just your friends. If you think about it, social distancing can also be a great way to meet new friends online, just make sure that you don’t go meeting them on your own when this is over! Always stay safe on social media.

Spend Time With Those Who Are With You

Ensure that you are making time for those that you are in isolation with. Think about the people who are in the home with you, and try to find plenty of time to spend with them. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be on your own or taking the time to catch up with the people who aren’t at home with you, but don’t forget about those who are. Make time to sit down with each other, talk, watch a movie, play a game, do whatever you want to. Connecting with people is about more than just talking to them over the phone.

In fact, making time for those who are at home with you is a great way to stop yourself from feeling lonely. When it comes to social distancing, it’s not hard to end up feeling a little lonely, but spending time with those who are around is a great way to combat this. Activities, like eating meals together or going on short walks, can bring joy during the pandemic!

Phone And Video Calling

Something that has been around for a long time now is phone and video calling, so you are going to want to make use of this as much as you can. You are separated from those that you love, but you’re still going to want to hear their voice and see their face, so this is going to be necessary. You don’t want to underestimate the power of a good FaceTime call with your best friend. If you are used to seeing them a few times a week, the change is going to be hard, but video calling makes it a lot easier.

A lot of phones have video calling functions, but if they don’t, then use a computer.

There are apps that allow you to do group calls so you can talk to multiple friends at the same time! Nobody has to lose touch, and everyone can stay connected easily.

The courses show you how connecting with yourself is going to be helpful when connecting with your friends. Keeping yourself grounded and knowing who you will help ensure that you are connecting with others during this tough period of time.

Make Plans For When It’s Over

You should also try to make plans when social distancing comes to an end. It may not look like this virus will go away soon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get the ball rolling. Think of things that you always love to do, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Obviously, you aren’t going to be able to put an exact date on the plans, but coming up with things to do together is going to help make you feel connected with your friends. Knowing that there are plans in place for when this is all over is going to make you feel so much better.

Not only that, but it will give you and your friends something to look forward to, knowing that you’ll be together when you can.

We hope that you have found this article helpful in showing you ways that you can connect with your friends during the pandemic. We know social distancing is tough, but with these tips, it can make the situation more enjoyable.

Have you wanted to learn how to change strangers into friends, friends into best friends and create a personal connection with anyone?

How to Check-In on Your Friends In the Age of Pandemichttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/woman-smiling-and-texting.jpg16001067VP LegaciesVP Legacieshttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/woman-smiling-and-texting.jpgMay 20, 2020June 4, 2020

When we aren’t face-to-face with our friends — hanging out at bars, attending brunch, organizing board game nights — it can be easy to forget something very, very important when it comes to maintaining your personal connections with people: checking in on your friends.

Because of the coronavirus and our requirement to stay isolated, we have lost our sense of routine. Maybe you used to wake up and text your friends to find out what they’re up to after work. Or you’d all go through the week knowing that you’d get together on the weekend. But because of social distancing, we have fallen into complacency with our friends. Why text them when you can’t go grab a drink later? Why call them when you can’t plan something for the weekend?

But it’s actually more important than ever — for friends and ourselves — to stay in touch, even if it’s just a short text. At VP Legacies, we know the importance of building and maintaining our personal relationships. That’s why we offer our Personal Connection 101 course, helping you have deeper conversations with your friends and other loved ones. But sometimes all it takes is a “Hello, how are you?” text.

Who Should You Be Checking in With?

We aren’t saying to run down your entire Facebook “friends” list and message everyone on there. But if there’s someone who crosses your mind and you realize you haven’t spoken to them in a while, reach out to them. Ask them how they’ve been doing or what they’re up to. Cell phones have made this easier than ever.

If you have friends who are going through something — a rough relationship, a breakup, a job transition, a move, a loss in the family, depression — these are friends you should prioritize if you only have so much energy and time to check-in. For people dealing with hardships, social distancing and quarantine has only made it harder. There are less distractions and less interactions, making your quick text more meaningful than ever.

Okay, so what is checking in? Is it a quick “hello” text? Is it a phone call? Is it asking them if they’d like to video chat? Well, each friend requires something different. You most likely know if your friends like texting over calling, or if they appreciate a deep conversation once in a while. And you also know what you have the energy to provide to them without exhausting yourself during this difficult time. Remember, you can only help others if you’re well enough yourself.

A Quick Text Message

Cell phones have made staying in touch easier than ever. In fact, they’ve given us very little excuse NOT to check-in. Everyone knows how fast it is to shoot over a text. That makes it even more hurtful when you don’t make the effort to send over a text to your friend. Whether it’s over Facebook messenger, another social platform, text, or whatever app you have on your phone, why not send over a short message to let them know you’re thinking of them?

If you know they’re going through something difficult, don’t be afraid to address it. Tell them you’re thinking of them during this time, sending them good energy, prayers, or whatever is appropriate for that individual.

Sometimes we don’t send over these simple texts because we don’t have the time or energy to respond to the conversation that might ensue from it. Well, that’s the other beauty of texts and cell phones. Set your boundary ahead of time. Tell them you’re about to clock into work, but you just wanted to let them know how much you care. Or tell them you’re about to make dinner, but you just wanted them to know you’re thinking of them during this time.

Just Listen

If you do have the time and energy, sometimes it’s important to just listen. They may not be looking for advice. They may not even be looking for you to agree. During this time of social distancing, it’s just nice to have someone there listening to something they may have been bottling up inside since they have nobody to talk to.

Like before, you can make your boundaries known by letting them know you only have a certain amount of time to talk. But remember to be present and responsive when you are giving them that time to talk. They have to feel that you care or they may as well be ranting to their cat.

Give Advice

Sometimes when you hear someone’s problem and it sounds familiar you want to chime in with advice or your experience with the subject matter. Remember that almost nobody wants unsolicited advice. But if they do ask for your opinion on a problem they’re having, you’re most definitely allowed to share your own experience or take on the situation at hand. Just remember:

Your friend may want something different than you. Just because you have both gone through the same struggle, doesn’t mean that they want the same outcome as you. Keep your friend’s interests, personality and goals in mind when giving advice, so it doesn’t come across like you think there’s only one “correct” way to deal with things.

Your advice has limits. On the other hand, sometimes it will be a topic you know little to nothing about. Maybe they’re dealing with a tough project at work, but you’re not familiar with that field at all. You can still offer them a new perspective, but you don’t want to make your advice sound matter-of-fact. Recognize that you may not know all the facts or may not know the best way to deal with something you have no experience with.

They may not want to take your advice. This is often the most frustrating part to deal with. You hear a friend going through something hard and you want to help. You feel you have the solution that will end their suffering. But they turn down your idea. It makes you mad because you care. But keep in mind that they have the right to choose what to do, even if you don’t agree with it. Arguing will only make them feel worse. And sometimes they may have already tried the advice you’ve given and it didn’t work.

Basically, advice is supposed to show support and offer a new perspective. It’s not supposed to be the start of an argument or a way to demand your friend see things your way. They may not and that’s okay. The important thing is that you showed you cared.

Offering Practical Solutions and Services

Before the pandemic, this was a great way to connect with your friends and show you care. You could come over with their favorite food and board games when they were sick. You could help them fix their car or decorate for their wedding. For many people, their desired love language is acts of service, so that was how you supported them. But now what?

There are still ways you can show you care without breaking social distancing guidelines. Bake them something and drop it off at their house. Order them something fun on Amazon and surprise them with the package. Sew them a mask and mail it to them. Have them drop their car off at your house if you have the tools and time to fix something.

It’s not really about the service itself. It’s about making the effort and showing you still want to connect with them during this time and make sure they’re okay.

VP Legacies has a live show on Facebook and Instagram about a connecting in the midst of a global pandemic. Things are different now. We can’t simply hang out with our friends to show we care or to connect with them throughout the week. So we wanted to help you maintain these connections with this ongoing and free course about spending time with your loved ones during this difficult time.

We can all do more right now to check in with your friends during the pandemic. Whether it’s dropping off cupcakes or simply sending a text asking how they’re doing, it’s all about showing you’re still thinking of them. It can feel like we’re losing our strong connections with friends now that we can’t bond over a tough hike or fun gathering. But don’t let these friendships fade away.

Make sure you’re checking in with friends. It’s needed more than ever before.

Have you wanted to learn how to change strangers into friends, friends into best friends and create a personal connection with anyone?

What to talk about on the phonehttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/woman-on-phone.png6681002VP LegaciesVP Legacieshttps://vplegacies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/woman-on-phone.pngMay 15, 2020May 16, 2020

According to recent research, 77 percent of people experience some level of anxiety when they talk on the phone. Forty-one percent of these people say that this anxiety is a regular occurrence.

There are lots of reasons for this anxiety, but for many people, it stems from not knowing what to talk about. For folks who want to have a personal connection with friends or loved ones but have a hard time figuring out what to talk about on the phone, here are some foolproof tips to try.

Consider the Context

A good starting point when figuring out what to talk about the phone is to consider the context of a call. This includes asking questions like “Who’s involved in this conversation with you?”, “Why are they calling?”, and “How do I know them?”

The following are some of the most common people with whom you’re likely to have phone conversations on a regular basis:

Friends

First, friends. Conversations with friends can be about almost anything, from catching up and going over what each person has been up to since they last talked to making arrangements for a future get-together.

Ideally, talking to a friend on the phone should be the least nerve-wracking type of call. If it’s been a long time since the last conversation, though, it can be a bit awkward, especially in the beginning.

Family

Next is family phone calls. Family phone calls are probably the most common type of phone call for most people. They can be anxiety-inducing, though, depending on which family member is calling and the type of relationship one has with that person.

Family phone calls can cover a wide range of topics, too. Like phone calls with friends, their primary purpose can be simply to catch up and see how the person is doing. They can also be geared toward planning an event or arranging an in-person meeting.

Coworkers

Plenty of people also find themselves having conversations on the phone with coworkers on a regular basis.

Phone calls with co-workers tend to have the least amount of variety — in most cases, if a coworker is calling, it’s to talk about something work-related. Sometimes, this can help to ease phone anxiety, since the parameters of the conversation are better understood and the person talking is (hopefully) less likely to drift into unknown or uncomfortable territory. If you are still having trouble, VP Legacies have a free online course that runs live daily on facebook an instagram that can show you how to connect with coworkers and colleagues.

Of course, if a person finds their job to be very stressful, the idea of taking a phone call from a coworker can cause a lot of anxiety.

Have a Couple of Prepared Topics

When a person is getting ready to make a phone call to anyone (a friend, a family member, or a co-worker), it helps to have a couple of topics prepared and ready to go before picking up the phone. This helps them to guide the conversation and avoid any awkward pauses. You can also check out VP Legacies course on building a relationship with yourself. It shows you how to be more confident and provide strategies to connect with people on a personal level.

The types of topics one prepares will vary depending on whom they’re calling (this is why it’s important to understand the context of the call first). Here are some ideas to consider for each type of call:

Memories from the past involving the two of you (a game you once played, an activity you did together, etc.)

Family

Many of the topics you can address to connect with friends also work for engaging with family members. The following are some other ones that are more family-specific that you might want to have prepared before your conversation as well:

How another family member (sibling, parent, grandparent, etc.) is doing

Plans for the next time you’ll all get together

A recap of the last time you all saw each other and how things went

Where you’d like to go on the next family vacation

Coworkers

When talking to coworkers on the phone, it’s important to make sure the conversation stays work-appropriate. Here are some topics to have prepared to avoid running into any problems:

An upcoming project and how your coworker feels about it

Whether they have any advice to help you improve your standing in the company and qualify for a new position/promotion

How long they’ve worked for the company and what they like the most about it

A previous work event, how it went, and how they’d improve it in the future

You can also look at e-learning courses online such as VP Legacies that offer ways to personally connect® with you friends, family, and colleagues as well as tips on connecting with yourself to be more confident and to balance a healthy professional and personal relationship while working. With Vp Legacies, reaching out to talk does not have to be awkward anymore.

It’s a good idea to have some topics prepared to guide the conversation. At the same time, though, callers should also be flexible and willing to adapt if the conversation takes a turn they weren’t expecting.

If someone is too rigid and refuses to deviate from the topics they prepared beforehand, the person on the other end of the conversation might end up feeling uncomfortable. Failure to be flexible can also make it harder to create a deeper connection, which often goes against the purpose of the call (especially calls that are meant to be purely about catching up or checking in).

Casual Conversation Topic Ideas

For folks who are looking to build deeper connections, especially with friends and family, casual phone calls can be a good tool to utilize. By reaching out to check in and see how someone else is doing, the recipient of the call knows that they’re important to the caller and will be more inclined to reach out to them in the future.

The following are some casual conversation topic ideas worth keeping in mind when making these calls:

What was the last funny video/TV show/movie you watched?

What do you do to manage stress?

What’s something you’re loving right now?

What plans do you have this weekend/for this upcoming holiday?

What did you do/where did you go last weekend?

What’s your favorite thing about work/school?

All of these are good topics to turn to when the conversation starts to lag. They also make great ice breakers to get the conversation started.

Start Improving Phone Conversations Today

Figuring out what to talk about on the phone can definitely be a challenge. Keeping these tips in mind can make the process less anxiety-inducing, though.

By remembering these strategies, people who struggle with phone anxiety can feel more confident carrying on conversations. They might even find that, with enough practice, they actually enjoy talking on the phone.